TOKELAU

'Tokelau' (IPA: ) is a non-self-governing colonial territory of New Zealand that comprises three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands are occasionally referred to by Westerners by an older colonial name, ''The Union Islands.'' Until 1976, the official name was ''Tokelau Islands.'' The United Nations General Assembly includes Tokelau on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories that have not completed the process of decolonization. According to the CIA list of countries by GDP (PPP) it has the smallest economy of any country in the world.

Contents

Etymology

History

Western discovery and contact

Government formation

Politics

Geography

Territorial claim

Economy

Demographics

Internet domain names

Miscellaneous topics

See also

References

External links

Etymology

The name ''Tokelau'' is a Polynesian word meaning "north wind". The islands were officially named the ''Union Group'' in 1916 after being annexed to the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. ''Tokelau Islands'' was adopted in 1946, which was contracted to ''Tokelau'' on December 9, 1976.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that the atolls of Tokelau — Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo — were settled around 1000 CE, probably by drift voyages from Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tuvalu. Inhabitants followed Polynesian mythology with the local god Tui Tokelau; and developed forms of food, music and art. The three atolls were independent until the 18th century, when Fakaofo conquered Atafu and Nukunonu in the Tokelau wars, uniting the islands.

Western discovery and contact

John Byron discovered Atafu on June 21, 1765 and named it "Duke of York Island". He sent two boat parties ashore, but neither found signs of inhabitants. Edward Edwards visited Atafu on June 6, 1791 in search of the mutineers of the ''Bounty''. There were no inhabitants, but houses contained canoes and fishing gear, indicating the island was used as a temporary residence by fishing parties. Three days later, he sailed southward and discovered Nukunonu, naming it "Duke of Clarence Island". Edwards could not make contact with the people but saw morais, burying places, and canoes sailing across the lagoons.
Sailors of the United States whaler ''General Jackson'' discovered Fakaofo in 1835. On January 25, 1841, the United States Exploring Expedition visited Atarfu and discovered a small population living on the island. The residents appeared to be temporary, evidenced by the lack of a chief and the possession of double canoes. They desired to barter, and possessed blue beads and a plane-iron, indicating previous interaction with foreigners. Days later, Captain Morvan discovered Fakaofu; and the United States Exploring Expedition discovered the island on January 28, 1841, naming it "Bowditch Island".
Catholic Samoans converted the people of Nukunonu in the 1840s, and Protestant Samoans converted the people of Atafu in 1858. The two groups later attempted to convert Fakaofo. The atolls' populations were reduced to 200 in the 1850s and 1860s when Peruvian slave traders seized around 250 people, missionaries removed 500 people, and diseases such as dysentery spread.

Government formation

Tokelau became a British protectorate in 1889. In 1916, they were annexed to the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, then transferred to New Zealand administration in 1926; abolishing the islands' chiefdoms. By the Tokelau Act of 1948, sovereignty over Tokelau was transferred to New Zealand. Defence is also the responsibility of New Zealand. However, the Tokelauans are drafting a constitution and developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau moves towards free association with New Zealand, similarly to Niue and the Cook Islands.

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Tokelau

The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by Administrator David Payton. The head of government is Kolouei O'Brien, who presides over the Council of ''Faipule,'' consisting of three elected leaders, one from each atoll, which functions as a cabinet. The monarch is hereditary, the administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand, and the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule for a one-year term.
The Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers legislative power on the General Fono, a unicameral body of forty-five seats. Each atoll's Council of Elders or Taupulega, made up of citizens over the age of 60, chooses fifteen representatives to serve three-year terms.
On November 11, 2004, Tokelau and New Zealand took steps to formulate a treaty that would turn Tokelau from a non-self-governing territory to a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. Besides the treaty, a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination took place, with the three islands voting on successive days starting February 13, 2006. (Tokelauans based in Apia, Samoa voted on February 11.) [1]. Out of 581 votes cast, 349 were for Free Association, being short of the two-thirds majority required for the measure to pass. The referendum was profiled (somewhat light-heartedly) in the May, 1, 2006 issue of ''The New Yorker'' magazine. [2] A repeat referendum is planned for October 2007.

Geography

Tokelau comprises three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean between 171° and 173° W longitude and 8° and 10° S latitude, approximately midway between Hawaii and New Zealand. They lie about 500 km north of Samoa.
The islands are Atafu (at one time known as the Duke of York Group), Nukunonu (also the Duke of Clarence Group), and Fakaofo (once Bowditch Island). Between them they comprise a land area of 10.8 km². They have no ports or harbours. Tokelau lies in the Pacific typhoon belt.
; Geographic locations of Tokelau's atolls : Atafu:
Nukunonu:
Fakaofo:

Territorial claim

A fourth island that is culturally, historically and geographically — but not politically — part of the Tokelau chain is Swains Island (Olohega), under United States control since about 1900 and administered as part of American Samoa since 1925. The island was claimed by the United States pursuant to the Guano Islands Act as were the other three islands of Tokelau, which claims were ceded to Tokelau by treaty in 1979. In the draft constitution of Tokelau subject to the Tokelauan self-determination referendum in 2006, Olohega is again claimed as part of Tokelau, a claim which was surrendered in the same 1979 treaty in which a boundary was established between American Samoa and Tokelau.

Economy

Tokelau is not a wealthy community, with an annual purchasing power of about US$1,000 (€814) per capita. The government is almost entirely dependent on subsidies from New Zealand. It has annual revenues of about less than US$500,000 (€410,000) against expenditures of some US$2.8 million (€2.3 million). The deficit is made up by aid from New Zealand. Tokelau exports around US$100,000 (€80,000) of stamps, copra and handicrafts (woven and carved) annually and imports over US$300,000(€245,000) of foodstuffs, building materials and fuel to and from New Zealand. New Zealand also pays directly for the cost of medical and education services.
A large number of Tokelauan people live in New Zealand and support their families in Tokelau by remittances.
Local industries include small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods, stamps, coins, and fishing. Agriculture and livestock produces coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas, pigs, poultry and few goats.

Demographics

Tokelau has fewer than 1,500 Polynesian inhabitants in three villages who speak Tokelauan and English. Their isolation and lack of resources greatly limits economic development and confines agriculture to the subsistence level. The very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand, resulting in a population decline of about 0.9% per year. Depletion of tuna has made fishing for food more difficult.

On the island of Atafu, almost all inhabitants are members of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa. On Nukunonu almost all are Roman Catholic. On Fakaofo, both denominations are present with the Congregational Christian Church predominant. The total proportions are: Congregational Christian Church 62%, Roman Catholic 34%, other 5%.^[1]
While slightly more females than males live on Atafu and Fakaofo, males make up 57% of Nukunonu residents.^[2] Only 9% of Tokelauans aged 40 or more have never been married.^[3] One quarter of the population were born overseas; almost all the rest live on the same atoll they were born on.^[4] Most households own 5 or more pigs.^[5]

Internet domain names

Tokelau has an Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD), .tk, and attempts to make money for the island by selling domain names. However, to gain publicity, Tokelau gives most domain names under its authority away to anyone for free. Free domains are pointed to Tokelau nameservers that redirect HTTP traffic via HTML frames to a specified web page and redirects 5 email addresses to external addresses. Only paid domains get the option of using a different nameserver (enabling more services and disabling the web/email forwarding).

Miscellaneous topics

Each atoll has a school and hospital. The health services has a Director of Health based in Apia and a Chief Clinical Advisor who moves from atoll to atoll as required to assist the doctors attached to each hospital. In 2007 there was not always a doctor on each island and locums were appointed to fill the gaps. Upcoming Tokelaun medical graduates should alleviate this shortage in the coming years.
Many Tokelauan youth travel to New Zealand to further their education and the ship is full around Christmas time with students returning home and then heading off for another year of study.
Tokelau has a radio telephone service between the islands and to Samoa. In 1997, a government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok) with three satellite earth stations was established. Each atoll has a radio-broadcast station that broadcasts shipping and weather reports and every household has a radio or access to one.
In September 2003, Fakaofo became the first part of Tokelau with a high-speed internet connection. The service is free for everyone. Foundation Tokelau finances the project.

Tokelau is served by the MV Tokelau, owned by the country, with the trip from Apia taking a little over a day. Ships load and unload cargo by motoring up to the down-wind (leeward) side of the islet where the people live and maintaining station, by intermittent use of engines, close to the reef edge so that a landing barge can be motored out to transfer cargo to or from the shore. On returning to shore, the barge negotiates a narrow channel through the reef to the beach. Usually this landing is subject to ocean swell and beaching requires considerable skill and, often, coral abrasions to bodies.
When bad weather prevents the barge making the trip, the ship stands off to wait suitable weather or goes off to one of the other atolls to attempt to load or unload its passengers or cargo, or both.
In late February and early March of 2005, Tokelau was struck and severely damaged by Cyclone Percy. It was stronger than forecast and stayed in the vicinity for longer than had been predicted. It coincided with a spring tide which put most of the area of the two villages on Fakaofo and Nukunonu under a metre of seawater. The cyclone also caused major erosion on several islets of all three atolls, damaging roads and bridges, and disrupting electric power and telecommunications systems. There was also significant and widespread damage to foodcrops including bananas, coconuts and pandanus. No one was seriously injured in the cyclone but villagers lost significant amounts of property.
The future for Tokelau depends on the height of the ocean. No significant land is more than two metres above high water of ordinary tides. This means Tokelau is particularly vulnerable to any possible sea level rises caused by global warming.

See also

★ Music of Tokelau

References

1. Tuhiga Igoa o te 2006 - 2006 Tokelau Census of Population and Dwellings, Table 2.5.
2. Tuhiga Igoa o te 2006 - 2006 Tokelau Census of Population and Dwellings, Table 1.3.1.
3. Tuhiga Igoa o te 2006 - 2006 Tokelau Census of Population and Dwellings, Table 1.5.
4. Tuhiga Igoa o te 2006 - 2006 Tokelau Census of Population and Dwellings, Table 3.2.
5. Tuhiga Igoa o te 2006 - 2006 Tokelau Census of Population and Dwellings, Table 6.13.

External links

★ History, cultrure, and economy of Tokelau

★ Tokelau Council of Ongoing Government (executive branch of the government)

★ The Administrator of Tokelau (Tokelau website of the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

★ Tokelau-Info Project (comprehensive website of Martin Muehlbauer - German, English, French)

★ Fakaofo (the official website of one of the three atolls)

★ Nukunonu (the official website of one of the three atolls)

★ Official Tokelau Travel and Information Service

★ Tokelau Statistics Unit

★ Tokelauan law

★ CIA World Factbook entry on Tokelau

★ Open Directory Project - ''Tokelau'' ODP Tokelau category